Al Ghadeer craftswomen and the designer behind the Tarabeech, Loreta Bilinskaite-Monie, created an interactive collaborative installation experience at Dubai Design Week.

Created in large scale, the Tarboosh, which was once used to diffuse perfume on clothing, is now used to diffuse scent in homes and living spaces. The 100% cotton Tarboosh was handmade by Emirati craftswomen who love to share their Emirati culture and crafts with the world. The perfume used was a custom-made scent made in collaboration with the Emirati perfumery, Tola, to make this experience exceptionally special. The fragrance holds soft notes of Arabic scents which are typically found in an Emirati home.

Have you ever wondered what the tie-like tassel hanging at the neck of the Emirati men’s Kandura was? The Tassel, or Tarboosh as it is known locally, is part of a beautiful tradition dating back to when the nomadic Bedouins traveled across the deserts of Arabia. Wives and mothers would create Tarabeech, the plural of Tarboosh, to serve as fragrant diffusers, dipped in perfume, so that their husbands and sons would have a beautiful scent around them that reminded them of home. To preserve this wonderful piece of our heritage, Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts has collaborated with Loreta Bilinskaite-Monie, a Lithuanian Artist inspired by Emirati culture, to create contemporary interpretations of the Tarboosh.

In addition, visitors watched Al Ghadeer master craftwomen make the traditional Emirati crafts of Sadu, Khoos, Gazel and Tarboosh-making.

About Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts is the most comprehensive organization in the UAE to empower underprivileged women through Emirati crafts. Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, the Emirates Red Crescent President’s Assistant for Women’s Affairs, founded Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts in 2006. The aim of the initiative was to sustain traditional crafts, create culturally inspired products, and provide women with training, designs, raw materials, and marketing services to assist them in earning a dignified living. Boasting more than 200 craftswomen from different nationalities and ages, Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts has multiple product lines such as corporate gifts, stationery, home accessories, and fashion.

Image Credits: @uschiirani and @AlGhadeerUAECrafts